UK Electronics Retailer Offers Free Electric Car Charging (Video)

Image credit: Autoblog GreenComet trialling free EV chargingEvery time we talk about electric vehicles (EVs), nay sayers always bring up the question of range - after all, how can a car with a range of 100 or 150 miles hope to compete with the internal combustion engine? Of course, advocates for EVs argue that the vast majority of journeys are short trips to work or to the store that can be achieved on one charge, and with a little investment in charging infrastructure that range can be extended further. The UK has already seen utilities installing EV charging points and a map of London's electric car charging points looks a little like my face did in highschool. Now UK retailer Comet - the British equivalent of Best Buy - has installed a prototype charging station at one of its stores. Click below the fold to see the system in action. Sadly there's not too much information on Comet's own website, but Autoblog Green tells us that the chain's Croydon store is home to the first Plug & Go EV charging point.

The practicalities sound a little complicated at this point - the charging point is locked, but customers interested in making use of the scheme can request a key from the company by email. Thinking this through, I'm not sure I visit my local electronics retailer often enough to request a charging key - and anyone who does may want to consider their ewaste footprint pretty carefully! But it's still neat to see such infrastructure beginning to appear.

If the trial proves successful, Comet are planning to role out the scheme across the country. It would be great if like-minded retailers, local authorities, utilities and other institutions interested in offering charing stations could join forces and create a standardized system for administering access. You may say I'm a dreamer...